They are ceramists, stone cutters, diamond cutters, carpenters or cabinet makers... Art crafts contribute to the influence of France and its regions. On May 30, 2023, the Government announced a three-year national strategy for the arts and crafts sector. Details of this plan supported by an interview with Jacques Bourniche, Métiers d'Art sector advisor at the Chambre de Métiers et de l'Artisanat de Bretagne.
"Stimulate vocations" among young people and prevent "the loss of certain skills" - these are the objectives of the national plan announced by the Government on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. This plan, with an investment of 340 million euros over three years, is jointly supported by the ministry in charge of culture and the ministry in charge of the economy. It aims to strengthen public support for the crafts sector through measures focusing on five key areas: youth, training, territories, innovation and international.
In France, arts and crafts represent over 60,000 companies and 150,000 professionals. Cumulative sales are estimated at 19 billion euros in 2019, including eight billion in exports.
Promoting art and craft among young people
The first priority is to raise awareness of the sector through discovery and practical courses. The government is proposing to open 1,000 3rd grade internship places with art craftspeople, starting at the end of 2023. The aim is to raise the profile of arts and crafts among young people, raise awareness of their potential career opportunities and encourage vocations. These offers will be available on the monstagedetroisieme.fr platform.
Onisep (L'Office national d'information sur les enseignements et les professions) will provide resources to help young people find their way around art and craft courses. The plan also calls for the creation of 730 new arts and crafts activities for 15-19 year-olds via the Pass Culture. Also on the agenda: the development of discovery workshops via a network of associations. Finally, the national furniture will launch the Petit Mob', art and craft awareness workshops for 6 to 14 year-olds.
Training to pass on excellence and craftsmanship
Artisan training is based on the transmission of ancestral skills and techniques. To ensure the long-term future of the sector, the government intends to increase the number of continuing training courses available to professionals. For art and craft professionals registered with the Chambers of Trades and Crafts, it plans to offer guided tours of the National Museums.
An apprentice training center (CFA) will also be created in the national manufactures. It will be dedicated to the decorative trades. The CFA will also be opened up to trades that have been "orphaned" by their training, or that are in short supply in fields related to those of the manufactures (textile weaving, table goldsmithing, watchmaking).Another objective of the plan is to increase the number of Maîtres d'Art. Created in 1994 by the French Ministry of Culture, this title rewards the work of transmission between the holder of the gesture and his pupil, within the workshop. This includes trades for which there is no longer any training.
The Bpifrance "Savoir-faire d'exception" Accelerator has been renewed for 2024 and 2025, to support two new classes of 25 companies. Leaders will be able to structure their businesses in depth, share ideas with their peers, and connect with the industry's ecosystem.
Placing arts and crafts at the heart of local communities
As part of France 2030, 46.8 million euros have been earmarked for the creation of local cultural and creative industry clusters, focusing mainly on art, design and fashion.
Artisans will benefit from an allowance to set up a workshop (AIA) or purchase equipment, granted by the Ministry of Culture via the General Directorates for Cultural Affairs (DRAC) in their region of residence.
The plan aims to double the number of companies with the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (EPV) label to 2,500 by 2025, and to develop artisanal geographical indications such as Granit de Bretagne.
Supporting research, innovation and creation
To facilitate access to support, innovation grants will be mapped out.
To counter the possible disappearance of ancestral gestures and techniques, a digital gesture bank will enable the conservation of endangered crafts.
Developing art crafts internationally
As arts and crafts are particularly valued and sought-after abroad, the challenge is to make them more visible and to promote exchanges between French and foreign craftspeople. For example, in 2025, the French pavilion at the Osaka World Expo in Japan will be dedicated to fine crafts.
